"maybe he'll wander in one day? we did." It's not giving out false hope, it's just stating a fact. he takes a few side streets, heading them to their destination.

Pure curiosity gets the better of him, because who knows? It's not like he's still working towards breaching to the surface like the rest of the Underground, but he's a knowledge seeker by nature. And that's how he ends up asking "what was it like while you were exploring? was it big? being underground all the time gets small."